Lynne Featherstone

Managed to get to the meeting of the Defend the Whittington Coalition last night. The key issues being decided were the route of the march, the speakers, the publicity, banners, placards and so on. Credit to the organisers - as it is a lot of work to get this together.

We all need to take part in this protest. Given that the 'options' for the future of A&E at the Whittington currently (in their draft form) contain four options out of seven that end 24/7 A&E - we need to demonstrate just how much anger there is amongst local people.

So - demonstrate we will. I will post final times and locations for the various stages of the march and rally as soon as I have them.

All last week BBC London took a look at what is happening - or likely to happen - to our health services in London. Their survey includes, obviously, the threat to A&Es in London - and in particular the Whittington. You can see my interview -and the whole piece here in the A&E section.

So - another one bites the dust.

Cllr Sheik Thomson, who was Mayor of Haringey for Labour only the year before last, has resigned from the Labour party and become an independent. Last week Cllr Brian Haley resigned from Labour and joined the LibDems. Just before that, Labour Cllr Alan Dobbie resigned from Labour to become a Tory.

They are dropping like flies. With votes now on the casting vote of the Mayor - that would explain why Labour suddenly cancelled the budget meeting that was set for next Monday.

Roll on the local elections of May 6!

Full credit to Rachel Tyndall (Chair of the North London Central Review Panel) for sending me the NCL Strategy Plan for our local health services. I had heard that these had been submitted to NHS London and asked for a copy - and it was given to me virtually immediately. I have circulated the document for information.

The content is of concern. First let me say - this is a long, technical document - in which the arguments are laid out for the configuration of health services across five boroughs and between five hospitals: Barnet, Royal Free, North Mids, UCLH and the Whittington. Ms Tyndall has said that a more accessible version for public consumption will be provided in due course.

In the appendix, are laid out, seven 'scenarios'. This is where the fight to Save the Whittington A&E will come - if these are the 'options' that come for public consultation next autumn.

The seven 'scenarios'  demonstrate different configurations between the five hospitals as to what services will be provided from each hospital. It is about a total provision - obviously - not just A&E. Suffice to say that four out of the seven 'scenarios' show an end to 24/7 A&E at the Whittington. Three show retention of 24/7 A&E.

Interestingly two of the 'scenarios' show a reduction to 16 hours A&E - however - from the minutes of the Board Meeting of the Council of Governors of the Whittington it is quite clear that the the 16 hour A&E is not a real option. The actual wording from the minutes of the meeting of the Council of Governors of the Whittington reads (and I quote directly):

Very importantly NCL and the Whittington have ruled out an option where the Whittington has an A&E with reduced opening time eg 16hours per day. This leaves options where either the full 24 hour A&E is retained or there is no A&E at all. The Whittington might then have an urgent care centre.

So - I don't know why NCL have included two options showing a 16 hour A&E as clearly that has already been ruled out. This makes me wonder if options have been put in that are not really and truly under consideration but are there to make two of the options look better than they are - as they seem to offer some A&E rather than none. I will seek clarification on this seemingly conflicting evidence.

The greater problem for all of us fighting to save the Whittington A&E - is that as long as there are any 'scenarios' that don't retain 24 hour A&E - we are in jeopardy. So - we need the public consultation next autumn to simply ask those who use the Whittington whether we want to retain the 24 A&E service or whether we would prefer the alternative range of provision at the polyclinic, GP extra hours, urgent care centre etc favoured by NCL and the Trusts.

Anything else opens the way to closure of A&E at the Whittington.

At this point - it is a battle to make sure whatever options finally come forward for consultation- that if local people want to retain a 24 hour A&E at the Whittington - it is retained!

When I heard the magnitude of the scale of the closures that Tubelines want during their upgrade of the Northern Line I thought they must be taking the you know what!

Sixteen months of early evening closures and something like 83 weekends - and we are talking major closures - either the whole caboodle and/or north of Stockwell. They must be bloody mad!

I could say 'I told you so' - 'cos I did - endlessly when Labour forced the PPP (private public partnership) on us for the tube. The contract is a nightmare - and now we in North London (and the other end of the Northern line obviously) are about to be tortured endlessly by this dreadful arrangement.

Boris has woken up late - as usual - hope someone is checking what he said about the PPP! As Mayor he is now saying let's change the contract to another private company. That would be out of the frying pan into the fire AND would cost a fortune to get out of the existing contract I bet. The shareholders wanting a slice is much of the current problem and definitely a huge whack of the ginormous price tag of £6 billion that Tubelines are asking for.

£6billion! It could be done for £4 billion I am sure - if the  shareholders and profiteers were not guaranteed under the PPP contract their rake off before the work even begins.

No - our best bet - is for Tubelines to want out of the contract themselves. Then LU / TfL who already had to rescue Metronet when they went under (the other private public partnership) to take over. Blimey - just when you think it can't get worse - it does.

Having been Chair of Transport in London for nearly five years when I was on the London Assembly - and knowing a little bit about engineering and repairs as a consequence - I am sure that Tubelines have asked for way more closures than they need. The reason - well they would get charged a penalty probably if they over ran their agreed closure time - and so rather than risk penalties - I bet they have asked for loads more time in closures then is actually needed.

So - I have got my fingers crossed - just hoping that Tubelines want to get out of the kitchen!

Bounds Green Tube Station has been designated a Grade II listed building by the Government, as the result of a two-year campaign by Liberal Democrats and local residents.

In July 2008, Cllr John Oakes wrote to English Heritage, requesting that Bounds Green Tube Station be put forward for listing by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport , in order to protect the much-loved local landmark.

Cllr  Oakes, Liberal Democrat councillor for Bounds Green, comments:

“I have long admired our tube station, and the way its Art Deco style makes it an ornament and a focus for the area's residents.

“After a tour with local MP Lynne Featherstone, to examine its excellent restoration by Transport for London, I was surprised to find that it had not been listed in the same way as Turnpike Lane and Arnos Grove, two other stations dating from 1932/3 and influenced by the legendary architect Charles Holden.

“So I asked the Bounds Green and District Residents’ Association and the Hornsey Historical Society if they would support my application, which they kindly did.

“I am delighted to say that the Minister for Culture, Media and Sport has now recognised  Bounds Green Tube as an historical gem and a very worthy addition to Haringey’s protected buildings by giving it a Grade ll listing.  This effectively limits any changes or extensions, so that its clean lines can be  enjoyed by many future generations.

“The Minister echoed my application, by drawing attention to the station's ‘special architectural interest...which responds appropriately to its suburban setting, while boldly announcing its presence.”

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, adds:

“Well done to all those residents who helped this wonderful campaign, to ensure a key piece of Bounds Green history is preserved.”

I see that a German magazine, Brigitte, is catching up with Liberal Democrat policy. You can read here a Times Online article about the fact that this magazine has now resolved to use real women in its pages.

The Liberal Democrats, myself as Equalities Spokesperson and Jo Swinson, MP as Chair of the Policy Working Group welcome this debate widening. So many women and young people are made to feel bad by the constant drip drip of perfected images (perfected by airbrushing and retouching) that surround us on a daily basis. The LibDem policy arising from the working group and passed at last autumn's conference would see advertisers have to inform the public whether the ad has been retouched. It's not about stopping advertisers - it's about introducing some honesty and transparency.

No - this isn't about the A&E - I wish they said yes to that too. No - this is my visit to the Whittington with members of the Haringey Phoenix Group who work with blind and visually impaired people in Haringey.

Have you ever thought about this - you get the results to your tests for cancer - and because it is in print - you can't read it and have to ask a neighbour to help. Can you imagine how dreadful it must be to have to bring someone else into what is a private matter. Of course - you may be lucky and have a partner or friend who you are happy to see your most intimate correspondence - but there are times when this just isn't appropriate. Or the letter might be about an appointment - and you don't get to see it or know about it until too late. And quite frankly - it should be a basic right in a civilised society to receive medical information in a form that is accessible to those who are blind or visually impaired.

Well - actually it is a right - in legislation! The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Equality Duty of 2006 say this should be the case - but the actuality just isn't happening. Partly this is because patients don't ask - and partly because hospitals and GPs don't offer or aren't set up to deliver.

Hence my visit with the wonderful Haringey Phoenix Group. We met with Kate Slemeck and two other Whittington officials to discuss how we could arrive at a situation where asking wasn't necessary because the IT system flagged up both that the patient was visually impaired but also what type of communication results, appointments - any communication - should be in. This could be anything from braille, to large print format (different point sizes for different degrees of impairment), audio tapes, etc.  Then automatically - all communication would be in that format. This is part of a campaign by the RNIB to convert the right in law - to the reality on the ground.

Three cheers for the Whittington - who embraced this and said they could see no reason why not - and were prepared to run a pilot. This would be a real breakthrough and the Whittington would be the first hospital to trial and hopefully become a beacon for provision of communication in appropriate format.

Of course - there's a bit of a way to go - but they were welcoming, said that their IT system could flag this information up as we suggested. The next stage is to get GPs to ensure that this information - that the patient is visually impaired and identify the format required - so that it can be put onto the hospital system. And of course - it needs to be on the GP system - and all blind and visually impaired people need to make sure that the GP does this and so on.

So next step is to get Haringey PCT to write to all the GPs locally asking them to make sure that both on their own system and when they refere patients to the Whittington - it is made clear that this information has to be entered for flagging and so on.

I am assuming that the PCT will be delighted and willing to do so. I cannot imagine any reason why not - and this is the sort of small change that will make a huge difference.

Three cheers for the Whittington!

I'm back on The Westminster Hour tonight (Sunday) - tune in to Radio 4 from 10pm.

If you miss the show you'll be able to listen again on their website.

Up with the lark and hopped over to Greig Academy to join them in the RSPBs Big Schools Garden Watch. Armed with pictures of different birds and a check sheet to tick off which ones we spotted - I went out into the cold morning air with a group of enthusiastic pupils, teacher and binoculars.

And I finally got it! I mean - I have long known that bird-watching is hugely popular - but have never really understood the joys of staying out in the cold, keeping still and silent, and staring endlessly at mostly nothing. How wrong I was. It is completely fascinating and enjoyable - and the special wonder of suddenly finding in my urban surroundings - just how much bird life is out there. It's just like this massive secret life that runs parallel to ours - but I guess I am just so busy rushing around and never lifting my eyes - I just don't see what's in front of me.

The annual count that this visit is part of is a really important way to keep a check on just what is happening to our bird population - and what happens to birds matters to us and our future.

In fact -  so enthused - I begged to take hope a sheet of pictures so I can watch in my own garden.

So thank you Greig City Academy and the RSPB - for opening my eyes.